Chapter 7: An Awkward Interruption

Lia quietly made her way back to her room.

She nudged the door shut with her heel, and it closed with a soft click.

A dull thud echoed as she dropped the book onto her desk, after which she walked to the bed and sat down, her entire body sinking into the soft mattress.

The room was silent.

Outside the window, the sky had completely darkened, with only a few stars scattered across the heavens.

She wanted a moment of peace to clear the chaotic mess from her mind.

But it was useless.

The steam from the bathroom, the warm rush of water, the slick sensation on her skin.

And her own reflection in the water.

The images replayed in her mind, uncontrolled, every detail painfully clear.

Lia ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.

She stood up, returned to the desk, and pulled out the chair to sit.

‘Read a book.’

‘Yes, read.’

‘Knowledge is the best sedative.’

She opened the copy of A Brief Treatise on Thaumaturgy, the pages releasing a musty scent of old ink and leather.

Klein had told her to read the chapter on the motion of objects; he wanted to hear her thoughts on it tomorrow.

She forced her eyes to focus on the dense blocks of text.

“…All things possess a natural place. Fire rises, and earth falls. The descent of an object is not driven by an external force, but by its own intrinsic desire to return to its natural place…”

She recognized every word, but strung together, they refused to sink in.

The letters twisted and warped in her vision, eventually melting into a swirling mist.

Her cheeks began to burn again.

She could feel her heart accelerating, each beat a heavy thump against her ribs.

Damn it!

This body was far too sensitive.

Lia closed the book, propped her elbows on the desk, and buried her face in her hands.

She needed to calm down.

In her past life, she had spent over twenty years in scientific research. What problem hadn’t she faced? What pressure hadn’t she endured?

This little thing now was nothing.

So what if she had a new body?

So what if she’d gone from male to female?

So what if, just a moment ago in the bathroom, she had…

Her thoughts snagged.

Her mind went blank.

After a long while, she slowly lifted her head, her gaze distant.

The room was so quiet she could almost hear the blood flowing through her veins.

Her hand slipped from the desk and came to rest on her leg.

Her fingers unconsciously began to stroke the fabric of her trousers.

They rested right at the waistband.

Then, as if drawn by some invisible force, her fingertips brushed against the cool metal button.

‘Undo it.’

A voice sounded in her mind.

Lia’s breath hitched.

With a slight pressure from her fingers, the metal button slipped free from its hole.

Click.

A soft sound.

The waistband loosened.

A draft of cool air slipped through the gap, raising a fine layer of goosebumps on her skin.

Her hand froze, unmoving.

‘What am I doing?’

‘Have I gone mad?’

Lia recoiled as if shocked, jerking her hand back and leaning away so hard she slammed against the back of the chair.

The chair protested with a loud creak.

She stared down at her unbuttoned trousers, the heat in her cheeks instantly spreading to the tips of her ears.

Shame.

An indescribable shame washed over her like a tidal wave.

Just then.

Creeak—

The door was pushed open.

Adèle walked in, carrying a neatly folded stack of dark robes.

“Lia? I knocked, but there was no answer. The door was ajar, so I thought you weren’t here.”

Her voice came from the doorway.

Lia’s mind buzzed and went completely blank.

She was still in the chair, her trousers still undone!

Acting on pure instinct, she snatched the outer robe draped over the adjacent chair and, quick as a flash, threw it over her lap.

The movement was so swift it stirred the air.

Adèle turned to pull the door partially shut before walking over, completely oblivious to Lia’s momentary panic.

“These are the new apprentice robes. I brought them for you.”

Adèle placed the robes on the desk, her gaze falling on Lia’s face.

Then, she froze.

Under the dim magical lighting, the entire room was cast in an orange hue, yet Lia’s face stood out, a strikingly deep red.

It wasn’t a healthy flush, but a red that looked as if it were about to catch fire.

“Lia? What’s wrong with you?”

Adèle’s voice was tinged with confusion.

“N-nothing.”

Lia’s voice was strained. She clutched the robe on her lap, her knuckles turning white.

Adèle’s brow furrowed.

The light in the room was poor, but she could still see that it wasn’t just Lia’s face that was red—her neck was flushed as well.

“Your face is very red.”

Adèle took a step closer, studying her carefully.

“Are you ill?”

As Adèle approached, an invisible pressure descended upon Lia.

It was a clean scent, a mixture of soap and old books, but to Lia, it smelled of judgment.

“No! I’m fine!”

Lia instinctively shrank back, pressing herself against the chair as if trying to merge with it.

Her reaction only served to solidify Adèle’s suspicions.

“You must have a fever.”

Adèle’s tone grew serious. “This won’t do. I have to take you to the academy physician. The mentor will blame me if we delay.”

With that, she reached out to take Lia’s arm.

“Don’t come any closer!”

Lia shrieked like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, batting her hand away.

She couldn’t move!

She absolutely could not stand up!

If she stood up, her trousers would fall down!

Adèle’s hand stopped in mid-air, taken aback by her extreme reaction.

“What on earth is wrong with you?”

A hint of annoyance crept into Adèle’s voice.

“I told you, I’m fine!”

Lia ground out the words through clenched teeth.

Right now, all she wanted was for the floor to swallow her whole.

Why did it have to be now of all times?

“How can you possibly be fine looking like this?”

Adèle’s stubborn streak flared up. “You have to come with me to see the physician.”

“I’m not going!”

Lia’s refusal was bafflingly firm.

The two of them were locked in a stalemate.

One was determined to drag her away, the other stubbornly refused to budge.

Adèle’s patience was wearing thin.

She looked at Lia’s crimson face, a growing sense that something was very wrong.

“Did you… get into trouble in the tower?”

It was the only possibility she could think of.

“No!”

Lia denied it instantly.

“Then why won’t you move?”

Adèle’s gaze sharpened.

Lia’s breath caught in her throat.

Her mind raced.

‘What do I do?’

‘How do I explain this?’

‘Say the button on my trousers is broken?’

‘No, that’s too unbelievable.’

Adèle’s eyes drifted downward, as if trying to find a clue beneath the robe covering Lia’s lap.

Lia’s heart leaped into her throat.

“I…”

She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

Seeing her guilty and flustered expression, Adèle sighed.

‘Forget it.’

“Fine, don’t move if you don’t want to.”

Adèle took a step back. “Let me feel your forehead, at least. Is that okay? I need to check if you have a fever.”

Lia hesitated.

Just feeling her forehead… that should be fine.

She gave a stiff nod.

Adèle leaned down and gently pressed the back of her hand against Lia’s forehead.

The cool touch of her skin made Lia’s burning flesh tremble in relief.

“Hm?”

Adèle let out a soft sound of surprise.

“You’re not hot.”

She touched her own forehead to compare.

“You’re a little warm, but it’s not a fever.”

Lia let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“I told you I was fine.”

Adèle straightened up, crossing her arms as she eyed Lia with suspicion.

If she didn’t have a fever, then why was she acting like this?

Her face was as red as a boiled shrimp, she was as tense as a startled rabbit, and she absolutely refused to move an inch.

Adèle’s gaze once again fell to Lia’s legs, which she was guarding so fiercely.

What secret was hidden under that robe?

“Are you really okay?”

she asked one last time.

“Really, I’m fine.”

Lia nodded emphatically, her eyes wide with sincerity.

Adèle stared at her for a long moment before finally giving up.

“Alright.”

She turned toward the door. “I’ve left the robes here for you. Remember to change. Get some rest.”

“Thank you, senior sister.”

Lia’s voice was faint with relief.

When she reached the door, Adèle paused with her hand on the knob and couldn’t resist looking back one more time.

Lia remained frozen in that peculiar position, utterly motionless.

She shook her head, opened the door, and left, pulling it closed behind her.

Only when Adèle’s footsteps faded down the corridor did Lia’s body go limp, slumping into the chair.

Saved.

She exhaled a long, slow breath, feeling the back of her shirt drenched in sweat.

She looked down at the outer robe on her lap, and beneath it, the unfastened culprit.

Lia’s face, once again, burst into flames.